Bone shape in ACL injured knee joint changes rapidly after injury

Neuromuscular training programs to reduce ACL injuries in young athletes can be inexpensively implemented, according to study results presented at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting.

“Given its low cost and ease of implementation, neuromuscular training of all young athletes represents a cost-effective strategy for reducing costs and morbidity from ACL injuries,” Eric F. Swart, MD, stated in the abstract.

The modeling study, which was based on data from recent clinical trials, evaluated a hypothetical cohort of student athletes aged 14 years to 22 years. Swart and colleagues determined universal training reduced the incidence of ACL injury from 3% to 1.1% per player per season on average. Of 10,000 athletes, the model predicted 300 ACL injuries in the no-screening group, 110 in the universal training group, and 180 in the universal training/screening for the at-risk athletes group.

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Researchers estimated the cost of implementation for a universal training program, including coach and player instruction, was $1.25 per day. They estimated the cost of ACL reconstruction to range between $5,000 and $17,000, and concluded the universal training program saved an average of $275 per player per season.

“Use of both preventative measures and screening tools sounds appealing, but often there are significant financial, administrative and social hurdles that have to be overcome before they can be implemented on a widespread level,” Swart stated in a press release.

Reference:

Swart EF. Paper #756. Presented at: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting; March 11-15, 2014; New Orleans.

Disclosure: Swart has no relevant financial disclosures.